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Say hello to your favourite burger… in salad form! This Big Mac Salad is a delicious lunch or light dinner, with beef mince, cheese, homemade Big Mac sauce, onions and gherkins, on a bed of iceberg lettuce. Gluten free and ready in 15 minutes using a few simple ingredients!
I’m Obsessed With These Big Mac Salad Bowls
- Why choose this recipe? While I can’t magic a gluten free McDonald’s for you, I can promise this delicious Cheeseburger Salad Bowl has all the best bits of a Big Mac, minus the bun! It’s a great healthy lunch idea that feels a little bit naughty.
- Top Tip: If you want to meal prep these Big Mac Salad Bowls, you can make the mince and sauce and store them separately, then construct the salad before serving so the lettuce doesn’t go soggy.
- Make It A Meal! Want to upgrade your Big Mac Salad? Serve it with some homemade oven chips or air fryer chips on the side. Bonus points if you drink a brain-freeze-inducing milkshake on the side through a rubbish paper straw.
Don’t just take my word for it…
@The_Coeliac_Princess made this after I shared the recipe on Instagram and said: “Sometimes you want a burger, but you also want a salad. And with this combo? You don’t have to choose! We all LOVED it!!!!!!!”
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for this Big Mac Salad recipe with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Beef Mince: I always use a lean beef mince (5% fat) but any beef mince will work. You could also use pre-made beef burgers and mash them up in the pan. Omit the extra seasoning if you choose to do that.
- Spices: I use onion salt, garlic granules and paprika to season the burgers. Feel free to add or swap anything you like, such as some chilli powder, smoked paprika or pepper.
- Cheese Slices: Well, this has divided the internet! I personally think a Big Mac salad should use processed cheese slices, just like the real deal. But you can swap this for Cheddar, Gouda, or whatever cheese you like – or omit it completely if you like.
- Lettuce: Iceberg is more in-keeping with a Big Mac but use any leaves you like.
- Gherkins: You’ll need gherkins plus some of the pickling juice from the jar. Trust me, it’s what makes the Big Mac sauce so incredible!
- Tomato Ketchup: Most ketchup is gluten free but always double check.
- Mayonnaise: Most mayo is gluten free (I have actually seen some light versions which aren’t tough, so be careful!). I use lighter mayo, but full fat works too!
How to Make a Big Mac Salad
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free cheeseburger salad recipe is to make.
More Easy Salad Recipes
If you like this Big Mac Salad recipe then make sure you check out these other gluten free salad recipes too…
Have you tried this recipe?
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Place a large frying pan on a medium heat and add a little oil. Add the beef mince along with the garlic granules, onion salt and paprika, and fry until browned. Season with salt and black pepper if needed.
Remove the mince from the heat when cooked and lay the burger cheese slices on top to melt while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Add the shredded iceberg lettuce and tomatoes to a bowl.
In a separate bowl add the ketchup, mayonnaise and gherkin juice, plus a few of the gherkins finely chopped, and mix together to make your Big Mac sauce.
Pile the mince on top of the lettuce, drizzle over the sauce and sprinkle with finely chopped onion and gherkins to serve.
- Storage: You can make this recipe and then refrigerate and enjoy cold, but I think it’s much nicer fresh while the mince is still warm.
- Meal Prep: To meal prep this, prepare the beef (minus the cheese), sauce, and salad components, and store separately in the fridge. Reheat the beef and melt the cheese on top, then construct the salad to eat.
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to guide you through how this recipe should look at each stage.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and comment about this Big Mac Salad recipe. A little review helps support my website hugely, so thank you! xx
Serving: 1 portion | Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 28g
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Want more gluten free meals inspiration? My debut cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, has 100+ gluten free recipes, from breakfast and lunch ideas to dinners, desserts and sides.
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